And it is to be even closer that the manufacturer has just announced that it will cut 380 jobs at Billund in a phased manner from this year until 2015.

The cause is the relocation of certain packaging activities to reduce delivery times by bringing these units closer to the markets on which these products are sold.

Today, more than 90% of the products produced in Billund are already packaged abroad.

LEGO also confirms its desire to continue its investments in Denmark, with several hundred million that will soon be allocated to the development of molding technologies.

For its part, Hasbro had recently announced plans to reduce its workforce by 10% due to poor results recorded at the end of 2012. About 550 employees around the world are affected by this workforce reduction measure.

(Thanks to Vanessa via facebook)

Some customers of the LEGO Shop US who spent more than $ 500 last year at LEGO received a small gift: This cute keychain with a Valentine's Day card.

LEGO has apparently confirmed that European customers will also be entitled to their VIP keyring in the Chrome Red version (LEGO part number 853303), but no minimum purchase amount has been confirmed. We can bet that those who spent at least 500 € on the LEGO Shop in 2012 should receive this little gift always good to take.

Please feel free to post in the comments if you receive anything these days.

Without transition, return to LEGO with a few lines on the noticed appearance of what could be the new version of Leia in slave outfit in the latest episode of the Yoda Chronicles uploaded by LEGO.

If the plastic version is faithful to the one modeled in this video, it is an exceptional minifig that will finally replace the 2006 version (which was released in 2009 in a pack of magnets).

Everything has obviously been revised by the designers, from the hairstyle to the face, including the silkscreen printing of the bikini which is superb. This minifigure is included in the set 75020 Jabba's Sailbarge which will be released in the summer of 2013.

And I will take advantage of this period of calm between two Toy Fair to try to get answers ...

The photo above is typical of what has been happening for several months: The minifigs planned in sets whose official presentation has not even taken place are circulating in quantity on eBay or Mercado Libre (a Mexican clone of eBay) and end in "reviews"on flickr or YouTube.

In the picture above, the three minifigs on the left are copies bought on eBay that are not yet officially marketed ...

LEGO doesn't seem to be overly moved by this, which leads me to have a lot of questions.
The leaks got worse with the opening of the LEGO factory in Monterey, Mexico and the manufacturer can't be fooled.

Far be it for me to play the masked vigilante, but I would still like to get a reaction from the manufacturer to these leaks which are becoming almost "normal" and which no longer shock anyone.

So I will post my question on facebook, twitter, email, etc ... until I get an answer. I'll keep you posted on what I might get.

This is a trend that will undoubtedly increase in 2013: Video blogging on the LEGO theme.

For the most part you already know The Brick Show, this ancestor video channel of the discipline, hosted by Jason-I-speak-slowly-so-you-understand-me-well. Nothing personal, but I can't stand their videos anymore, especially because the host adds a little too much in the mediatico-spectacular-megalo tone, and because everything is a pretext to post a video, even the info that doesn't. is not one.

First of all, let's put things in their place: If YouTube is swarming with video reviews and channels of all kinds dedicated to the LEGO universe, it is mainly because advertising can generate substantial income. So many of them try to retain an audience hoping to earn a few dollars from their videos. This is particularly the case of YourCreativeFriends, a clone of The Brickshow, whose lobbying on LEGO blogs is intense lately. 

Others, like The Brick Queen, are ready to try to use their "charms" to attract customers. It's pathetic, but the visit counter shows that it works pretty well ... (watch this video)

Even artist recently went astray in the overproduction of uninteresting videos, notably by offering one video per slot of the Advent City 2012 calendar ...

They are also more and more currently offering video content where the host takes the stage to present his review or his news. It is generally positive, we pass fingers filmed in close-up to the face of the one who informs us on one subject or another and we at least have the impression of watching a "show".

However, if we take a closer look at the counter of these channels, we see that the audience of most of them remains confidential. One of the explanations undoubtedly lies in the fact that the average LEGO fan usually goes straight to the point and does not burden himself with the whining of a pseudo-animator who always does a little too much. 

The current fashion is to offer pseudo-reviews of minifigs stolen and sold on eBay by followers of what we will call the "Mexican industry". The subject is very promising and the visit counters are racing. We can always discuss the moral aspect of the thing: Should you make money for a guy who imposes advertising on you to make you watch a review of a stolen minifig? I'm schematizing, but that's the idea.

I would love to know what you think of this trend. Do you watch one or more video channels on YouTube? Do you have your own channel? Do not hesitate to give your opinion in the comments.

A Quick addition for all people who don't read french: Get somebody to translate for you the above text and don't bother to comment if you don't understand what this is all about.